Allwyn appointed Francesco Rodano as head of responsible gaming, reportedly. Rodano joined the UK National Lottery operator after more than a decade at Playtech, where he led work on the BetBuddy tool.
The appointment puts a responsible-gaming leader with supplier experience in a senior role at the UK National Lottery operator.
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President Lula issued a provisional measure immediately banning online betting operations in Brazil. Licensed sites face blocking from 6 October, and Congress has 120 days to ratify or amend the measure. Betano is preparing legal action, while Allwyn and Entain have outlined potential effects on their forecasts.
On Friday, with the country's general election two days away, President Lula signed a provisional measure that halts online betting sites in Brazil with immediate effect. Licensed operators will be blocked from 6 October, and customers have until the preceding day to ask for their money back. Any funds still held after that deadline must be credited by the sites to registered accounts during the window of 9 to 14 October. Because the instrument is provisional, Congress must review it, ratifying or amending it inside 120 days.
Reportedly, Francesco Rodano, Playtech’s sustainable gambling chief, will leave the supplier after more than 10 years. Rodano joined Playtech from Italy’s gaming regulator ADM.
Francesco Rodano, Group Head of Responsible Gaming, said AI systems can identify online players at risk of developing problematic gambling behaviour weeks or, in some cases, months in advance. He said the systems analyse player histories, assign daily risk scores from zero to one hundred and can guide tailored interventions, including contact from trained staff.
Allwyn UK is restructuring its leadership, creating social impact, marketing and digital roles while phasing out three executive positions, the company said. Alastair Ruxton will become Director of Social Impact, Stephen Taylor will start as interim Chief Marketing Officer on 17 November, and recruitment for the Chief Digital Officer role is ongoing. Mark Smith will remain as a technology strategy adviser until June 2027; Richard Dawkins and Sarah Venning will also leave the company.
The company is adding three senior positions: a Director of Social Impact, a Chief Marketing Officer and a Chief Digital Officer. Under the restructuring, three C-level positions will be removed.
Casinos Austria has named board member Andreas Bierwirth to succeed CEO Erwin van Lambaart, who will step down when his contract expires in March 2027. Supervisory board chairman Robert Zadrazil said van Lambaart announced his decision internally in September, after which shareholders Allwyn and ÖBAG began a succession process. Bierwirth, chief transformation officer and a board member since October 2025, said the re-award of lottery and casino concessions is a key objective.
Casinos Austria has named board member Andreas Bierwirth to succeed CEO Erwin van Lambaart, who will step down when his contract expires in March 2027. Bierwirth has been a member of the three-member board since October 2025 and holds the position of Chief Transformation Officer.